Principal's Message

I am proud to share with you that this is my twelfth year at PS 66, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School and my third year being Principal. Throughout these years we have had numerous reasons to celebrate our accolades. In 2003, the name of the school was changed to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis to honor our former First Lady. We chose Mrs. Kennedy in recognition of her dedication to literacy as well as her commitment to historic restoration. In 2010, the building was recognized as a New York City Landmark. It is also on the National Registry of Historic Places, the New York State Registry of Historic Places and was granted the Queensmark from the Borough of Queens.

"In order to prepare for the future, we must first reflect upon the past."In 1898, the school first opened its doors to receive children from the neighboring farms. The building was named The Brooklyn Hills School. The school's name was changed again in 1908 to The Oxford School just as the Town of Richmond Hill became a part of the Greater City of New York. PS 66 was situated between Tulip St. (85th Ave.) and Walnut St. (85th Road) on Union Place. The original building consisted of what is today the main hallway corridor closest to 102 Street.

The building was designed in the Romanesque Revival style, with a stone foundation with brick and terra-cotta facades. A bell tower once topped the building and was used to call children to school. Wood deterioration required the removal of the bell tower in 1967. As part of the Historic Restoration Project (2001-2003) the bell tower was restored.

Fireplaces originally provided heat in the classrooms. The areas between the classrooms were used for storing firewood. Rooms in the attic were living quarters for the custodian and his family. The building reached its present size in 1908 when an addition was attached on the eastern side.

Today every classroom is equipped with Smart Boards, desk top computers, lap top computers, ipads, document cameras and state of the art educational software. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School has been the recipient of many academic accolades. Among them are the New York State Pathfinder Award, Title 1 Distinguished Schools Award and in 2013 we were honored by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan with the prestigious Blue Ribbon Award.

The children at PS 66 are educated in a late 19th century building steeped in the rich history of the Richmond Hill community. The staff at Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School is committed to provide a twenty-first century education to all children. Our students are given an outstanding foundation in college and career readiness skills. It is our goal for each child to become productive members of society in this twenty-first century world.